Best Bay Area Summer Camps
Still trying to figure out what to do with the kids this summer? Never fear, there are still lots of various summer camps throughout the Bay Area that have openings. Here are a few that might still have room - give them a call today!
All Over the Bay Area
Steve & Kate's Camp
Locations throughout the Bay Area
415-389-KIDS (5437)
Steve & Kate's Camp
Steve and Kate's is probably the hippest camp there is. With 19 Bay Area locations, they've been "reinventing summer camp for the modern era" for 31 years. Steve and Kate's have quite a refreshing approach -- "Campers choose the activities they want and explore them in whatever depth appeals to them," encouraging campers to be themselves and explore new activities. They offer a variety of daily and weekly activities, including traditional camp activities like free play, sports, adventure games, and arts and crafts, along with six creative studios -- film, recording, performing arts, ceramics, culinary and style. To top it all off -- no advance planning or big commitment are required at Steve and Kate's.
San Francisco
JAMcamp
1649 Taraval Street
San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 425-0372
JAMcamp
"We will, we will rock your socks off, rock your socks off!" is the fist-pumping camp song at kindie fave Charity Kahn's popular JAMcamp. Charity Kahn takes campers (ages 5-8) on a nurturing musical exploration through singing, dancing, creative drama, songwriting, art creation, crafting and playing. Campers have been known to bring home the camp's calming and inspirational warm-up exercise: "Breathe in the Love, Breathe out the Peace," and incorporate it into their daily lives.
SF Recreation and Park
Locations throughout San Francisco
Parks & Rec
At San Francisco Recreation and Park's myriad of affordable summer camps, campers can master a new sport or instrument, take part in an urban adventure, learn urban art and street games, make their own dance video, develop arts and crafts or cooking skills, build their own spaceships or boats, and much, much more.
East Bay
Lawrence Hall of Science
The Lawrence Hall of Science
One Centennial Drive
Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 642-5132
Lawrence Hall of Science
The popular Lawrence Hall of Science offers dozens of engaging, hands-on camps for 4-year-olds to twelfth graders. Youngsters can explore pond inhabitants, play with potions and mix chemicals, or learn about science through literature, math, art and drama. Older kids can explore the art of math, learn about engineering and city planning, collect and observe creepy crawly critters, take up crime science or animation, learn about the chemistry of food, and much more.
Marin
Bay Area Discovery Museum
Fort Baker
557 McReynolds Road
Sausalito, CA 94965
(415) 339-3900
Bay Area Discovery Museum
Adventures for four- through eight-year-olds abound at the invaluable Bay Area Discovery Museum. Campers can explore the bay, start a rock band, make art and costumes, put on their own play, learn carpentry, become a super hero or a pirate, and explore the glory of water -- all amidst a picturesque backdrop.
South Bay
The Tech Museum in San Jose
201 South Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113
(800) 854-3684
Tech Museum
The unparalleled Tech Museum in San Jose offers the most innovative summer camps around. Campers in grades 4 through 8 have the opportunity to learn claymation, green design, product design, robotics, web publishing, video game design, filmmaking, roller coaster physics, food chemistry, and much more.
Leanne Maxwell is the mother of a toddler who loves checking out the many kidcentric activities the Bay Area has to offer. She's also a freelance writer, designer, and all-around web enthusiast. You can find her over at leannemaxwell.com.